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Donna Freydkin has spent 10-plus years interviewing celebrities for major publications, and has written for a variety of outlets such as USA Today, Allure, Yahoo! and CNN covering topics such as films, family and favorite meals.
Eric Stonestreet, 55, to AARP: ‘Pickleball’s in Your Court’
The ‘Modern Family’ actor celebrated his birthday with a playful pitch to become our spokesperson
Eric Stonestreet, seen here in May 2026, marked his 55th birthday by asking AARP for a job.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Paramount+
Key takeaways
- Eric Stonestreet marked his 55th birthday by publicly pitching AARP to hire him as a spokesperson.
- AARP membership is open to anyone 18 or older, not just people 50-plus.
- Stonestreet mixed the joke with a sincere message, urging followers to tell people they love them, reconnect and mend fences.
Eric Stonestreet, 55, has a birthday wish: a new job at AARP.
The Modern Family actor marked his birthday by making a very public case for the gig on Instagram.
“Today is my birthday. I turned 55, which is awesome. It’s great,” Stonestreet said in the video, posted on Sept. 9. “One of the super cool benefits of turning 55 is that now I can become a member of AARP. Also cool. That’s great.”
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One clarification: Stonestreet did not have to wait until 55 to join.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization serving Americans 50-plus, but membership is open to anyone 18 or older. AARP advocates on key issues that affect the health, financial security and independence of adults 50-plus. Members get access to exclusive discounts, programs and services, plus a subscription to AARP The Magazine. Membership also includes a free second membership for another adult in the household.
“I did go online and familiarize myself with some of the benefits that I am now qualified for by joining AARP and they’re sweet, to be honest,” he joked.
The birthday video also carried a more personal message for his followers.
“Tell somebody you love them. @ them, tag them, tell them how much you miss them, say something nice about them,” he said. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll be an opportunity for people to reacquaint, mend fences, become friends.”
Stonestreet is best known for playing Cameron Tucker on ABC’s Modern Family. He was Mitchell Pritchett’s exuberant husband, Lily’s father and, eventually, a high school football coach on the series. The role earned him three Emmy nominations for supporting actor in a comedy and wins in 2010 and 2012. Modern Family collected 22 Emmys over its 11-year run. More recently, Stonestreet guest-starred on the Showtime Paramount+ serial killer drama Dexter: Resurrection.
He closed out the video by going back to the business at hand: Stonestreet traded his eyeglasses for dark shades and made one last pitch directly to AARP:
“So what do you say, AARP? Want to do some business together? Pickleball’s in your court.”
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